The prospect of the Freeport extension and its toll on the adjacent sandy beach at Pretty Bay, Birzebbuga reared its head again with Birzebbuga residents and the mayor banding together to cry foul over dredging works that appear set to begin, in tandem with the onset of the swimming season in the popular seaside community.
Residents, led by Birzebbuga mayor Joseph Farrugia and Birzebbuga Environment Action Group president engineer Carmelo Cachia, yesterday gathered at Wied il-Buni right between the Freeport and the town’s popular sandy beach, to protest against the Freeport’s apparent plans to carry out dredging works in summer.
The bone of contention is a clause in the Freeport’s permit, which clearly stipulates that ‘works shall not be carried out in the official bathing season’ − a condition imposed by the Health Department.
But, protesters said yesterday, the owners of moorings off the Freeport’s Terminal 1 West Quay received a notice to remove their moorings by 10 June so as to make way for dredging activities. In a previous letter, mariners were informed that dredging of the fairway leading to the basin between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 is to resume.
The Health Department had also imposed the condition that the Freeport should continuously consult with the department while the work is carried out to ensure that it is in line with the department’s conditions.
The local council has written to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in an attempt to stop dredging since the summer season has, in fact, already begun. Similar letters were also sent to the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said, Mepa Chairman Austin Walker and other Mepa officials.
But as of yesterday, the local council had not received a reply from any of the parties.
Dredging stirs the residue deposited on the seabed, causing it float towards the sea’s surface, explained Mr Cachia, an engineer. He added that the group had also written to Transport Malta’s Harbour Master Captain David Bugeja, as well as to Mepa’s audit office.
Mr Cachia added that some of the part-time fishermen who moor their sea craft in the bay have not yet been given alternative moorings.
He urged the boat owners present to organise themselves and keep their eyes peeled so that if dredging work started they could protest by blocking the bay with their vessels.
“If we really want them to respect us, we have to protest day and night on our boats. Dredging work cannot be carried out if you are on the boats. They cannot hurt us,” he said.
Pretty Bay, he remarked, has been turned into a boat scrap yard. Who knows what kind of toxins these boats contain, and who granted permits to scrap ships in the bay, he asked.
Residents present were adamant that despite the various inconveniences created by the Freeport project, they had never objected to it. Therefore, they now expect that the authorities hear their call to postpone dredging at least until autumn.
“We pay taxes like Sliema residents do,” shouted one woman. “The value of our residences here has been reduced to zero.”
“Pretty Bay has already suffered a lot of damage,” another remarked. “We used to catch sea urchins from the seabed and now not only is one hardly ever found, it is also hazardous to swim in the area what with all the toxins deposited on the seabed.”